Ruth Putnam

Ruth Putnam (18 October 1679-1716) was the daughter of Thomas Putnam and Ann Putnam of Salem, Massachusetts and one of the witnesses at the Salem Witch Trials. Her cousins were Israel Putnam and Rufus Putnam, two American Revolutionary War generals.

Biography
Ruth Putnam was born on 18 October 1679 in Salem, Massachusetts. She was the only one of the nine children of Thomas Putnam and Ann Putnam to survive her childhood, and her parents would blame the Devil for taking their kids. In 1692, Putnam and other Salem girls engaged in a dancing ritual in the forest with Reverend Samuel Parris' slave Tituba, and the next morning Ruth refused to wake up. Her eyes were wide open, but it was as if she were asleep; her family blamed the Devil for her affliction. She made various accusations in the ensuing Salem Witch Trials, including one against George Jacobs and another against Rebecca Nurse, both of whom were hanged as witches. In 1702, Putnam would apologize for her role in sending 20 people to their deaths, and she died unmarried in 1716.